Ranma's Perversion
by PDXGuyRewrites
Summary: Ranma is beaten by his father all of his young life after receiving the curse that turns him into a girl after being splashed with cold water. Luckily, he is helped by a girl who doesn't know anything about his true past
1. Accursed Life

Introduction

This story starts out as a darker, more dramatic retelling of Ranma ½.

Ranma is abused by his father all of his young life after receiving the curse that turns him into a girl after being splashed with cold water. Luckily, he meets a girl that helps him stand up for himself, but she is unaware that Ranma is originally a boy.

This version is OOC (Akane x Ranma) with soft lemony yuri fluffiness.

This fanfic is rated M for possible nudity and adult situations.

**Standard Disclaimer...**

I don't own Ranma. This is a fan fiction which is a creative and non-commercial effort which parodies the original work.

Chapter 1 - Accursed Life

In the mists of Mount Quajing in the deepest China, Saotome Genma stood on a rarely traveled road. He slid a rolled parchment from his gi and held it to the mottled light that shone between the leaves of the forest canopy. Unfortunately, the words were all but meaningless to him as they were in Chinese. He looked up at the trees and mountains, hoping for a landmark that could lead him to the right location, but did not see one. He muttered a curse and shoved the document back into his pocket. His 13 year old son Ranma stood by somewhat patiently. The boy felt his stomach rumble. He reached out and pushed gently on his father's gi then asked in his rough Japanese dialect, "When are we gonna be there, pops? I'm starvin'."

Genma patted his boy on the shoulder and sternly replied, "Being hungry is part of the training." He adjusted his pack and turned to the mountain.

Ranma pursed his lips in rebellion; that was _always_ the old man's excuse. The fact that Genma was overweight didn't escape his notice, either. He supposed the old man had some food stashed away somewhere to keep him so chubby. He wasn't about to starve, so he snuck his hand into his father's pack. He felt a roll with his fingertips. He quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into his face. His dad whipped around and Ranma looked innocently at him with bread stuck to the inside of his mouth.

Eventually the mountain pass opened up to a highly vegetative valley plateau. There were hundreds of pools with bamboo poles poking out of them.

Ranma looked at his dad curiously and asked, "Is this it?"

Genma shrugged.

"You were starin' at that brochure like you knew what it said!"

"So I did." His father replied, grinning.

Ranma smacked his father on the arm then looked down at the valley. There was a little shack near the edge of where the pools started. He pointed down there, "Let's go ask for directions."

"I'll race you!" Genma said. He pushed Ranma to the ground and started running.

Ranma clenched his hands and exclaimed, "No fair! I wasn't ready!" He ran as fast as he could to catch up. Eventually the two of them made it to the shack. A Chinese man sat in front of it, on a rock. He adjusted his hat with a Mao symbol to have a good look at Ranma and Genma. His face showed a little surprise.

Genma approached him and asked, "Is this the legendary training ground Jusenkyo?"

The man nodded and said, "You sirs looking for guide to springs, yes?"

Genma and Ranma both nodded.

"I give tour for five hundred Yuan. Good deal, yes?" The guide asked.

Genma pulled his pockets out and found some Chinese currency. He looked at the symbols on the money trying to figure out the value. He gave up and shrugged as he handed the lot to the guide.

The guide looked at his palm. There was at least 5,000 Yuan there. He thought these two guys must be very stupid. He shrugged to himself and pocketed the money.

"We start tour now," he said. He led the two martial artists down a clay path. When they arrived, there were several cold pools of water with bamboo poles poking out. said, "Here sirs is legendary training ground of accursed spring."

A slight mist rolled over the still dark waters.

"Are you ready, boy?" Genma asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be, pops." Ranma replied, cracking his knuckles. "This place ain't so impressive."

The guide waved his arms in warning at the two. "You very strange one, no, sir? This place very dangerous. Nobody use now. Is more than 100 spring here. Each one have own tragic legend!"

"Ranma, follow me!" Genma yelled. He leaped up on top of one of the poles jutting out of one of the pools and beckoned Ranma to follow. Ranma obliged by jumping 8 or 9 feet onto a nearby pole.

"Ah! Sir, what you doing?" The guide yelled with panic.

"I won't go easy on you." Genma yelled, ignoring the guide. He held his arms out and lifted a knee to start the fight in a crane stance.

"Bring it on, old man!" Ranma replied. He felt a little wobbly on the bamboo and it dug into his foot.

The two leaped at each other at nearly the same time. After an aerial flurry of punches, both of them settled on opposite bamboo poles. This caused the guide to yell with panic in his voice, "Please sirs! Very bad if you fall in spring!"

Genma jumped and lunged towards Ranma, but Ranma anticipated his move and did a flip in the air just above his father. He kicked off of his father's body in mid-air and had just enough force to propel his father downward right into one of the springs; this ended with a big splash. Ranma gracefully landed on one of the poles and giggled mirthfully. He waited a few seconds, but no sound came from the water.

Ranma squeaked in his teenage falsetto, "Pop? What's up? Give up already?"

Suddenly an enormous panda leaped out of the pool and landed on a pole. The young teen's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

The guide yelled loudly, "That spring of drowned panda. There is tragic legend, very tragic, of panda who drown there two thousand year ago."

The panda in question was wearing Genma's clothing and began swiping at Ranma with his claws. Ranma was trying to dodge while the guide was talking to him. "Wait a second, " Ranma said, jumping over a panda claw, "You never said anything about..." The panda landed a downward strike on Ranma in mid-air, sending him into one of the pools below.

The guide shrieked, "Ohhh no! Spring of drowned girl!"

Ranma sunk beneath the waters. The guide explained, "There is tragic legend, very tragic, of young girl who drown in spring one thousand five hundred year ago. Now whoever fall in that spring take body of young girl! See what I mean?"

A stream of bubbles began to rise in the water, followed by a splash. Sitting in the water, in place of Ranma, there was a young teenage girl with flame red hair in a pigtail. She looked down her gi and saw the small but noticable change in her chest and was shocked. She waded to the shore and crawled up it. She coughed up a little water and sat down, stunned. She didn't know what was worse…nearly drowning or the fact that her whole life as a boy flashed before her eyes. She screamed, "This isn't happening!" She cupped her mouth suddenly with shock. Her voice was higher pitched and softer.

The guide said with a sigh, "I try warn you, but you no listen. Come back to shack. I help." He wandered off.

Ranma couldn't stop looking at herself and crying. Genma jumped down from one of the poles and landed on the ground next to her. She noticed him and cried, "This is all your fault! I can't believe this!"

Genma was amazed at his transformation. He held his paws incredulously to his own face and tried to speak but could only make a growling noise.

Ranma buried her face in her hands in anguish. Warm tears ran down her porcelain face, "What am I going to do?"

Genma growled in an attempt to answer her. Ranma's cobalt eyes shone seriously at him. "We're going to have to explain this to mom. There is .." she looked down at herself with a sigh, "no way at all I can keep this a secret."

Genma felt a panic coming. All of his plans for his future were fading away; his humanity and his heir, all gone…maybe for the rest of his life. He ran towards the woods. Ranma gave chase. She cried, "Don't leave me here! Pops!"

Meanwhile, further down the road, Hibiki Ryoga leaned on his umbrella; he was tired. He did his level best to catch up to Ranma after losing him in what he thought was Tokyo. He had been looking for the boy all over China, occasionally getting lost for days. It was by chance he saw Ranma and his father on the road a day before. He gave chase, but they disappeared into the bamboo and mist. He was soon hopelessly lost.

But now he was lost yet again and hungry. It had been a long journey and he had all but given up hope of finding his hated rival. He stood a few feet back from a rocky precipice overlooking pools of water and looked around. There was a rustling close by in the tall marsh grass.

He set his pack down and moved to investigate.

Just then, a panda exploded out of a bamboo thicket with a shower of splinters. It ran into Ryoga so hard, it knocked him upward in the air. Just as he started to fall, a red-haired girl wearing a gi lept over him and kicked him accidentally before he even hit the ground, sending him careening over a ledge. He screamed as he flew directly into one of the cursed pools. He was stunned by the impact and was struggling to get air when a strange tingling sensation came over him. He had the good sense to try to get out of the water, so he squealed and fumbled around with his little black legs. '_Wait, black legs?'_ he thought. He managed to get onto dry ground and then looked at the oversized world and realized to his horror that he had shrunk and become something else.

Meanwhile, Genma had managed to run in a full circle around Jusenkyo. He came down the mountainside and stopped when he spotted a little black pig by one of the springs. He snatched it up with his panda claw and looked at it. '_Dinner time!' _he thought. He carried it to the shack where the guide lived.

"Ah, sir. You find very nice pig!" The guide said. "Let's right now cook it. Very nice." He grabbed a butcher knife and started to sharpen it on a stone. He smiled and said, "In ground of accursed springs, we have the 'spring of drowned black pig. Here's a very sad story of a baby black pig who drown there one thousand two hundred year ago."

Genma put a big kettle of water on top of a grate above the fireplace. Then he lit a fire and blew on it with a pipe to get it burning hot. Soon it was crackling and the water began to boil.

The guide continued talking to Genma while grabbing the piglet and holding it above the hot water. He looked at it closely and said, "Maybe there poor person who fall in spring of drowned black pig." He dropped the pig into the water and laughed, "Ha! Funny joke, yes?"

The pig changed instantly into a boy and was completely naked save for his bandana. He danced around in the pot and screamed, "OW! Hot hot hot!"

"Oh look!" The guide said in surprise, "It _is _a poor person! Now we cannot eat!"

The very naked Ryoga jumped out of the pot. He grabbed a plate and covered himself for modesty and ran out of the shack in complete humiliation.

Ranma came into the shack, breathing heavily and gasping. She barely could speak between breaths, "Did you see…my father…" She saw Genma right in front of her and said to him, "Why did you run away?" Just then she realized that he couldn't talk while in panda form. She came inside and sat down on a rickety wooden chair by the fire. She was tired and freaked out.

The guide took some of the hot water from the kettle with a ladle and raised it up. He said encouragingly, "You sirs will fix with this."

"Is it a cure?" Ranma asked hopefully.

The guide just poured the hot water on the panda. Genma transformed back into himself. He felt his body and said, "I'm normal again."

Ranma yelled excitedly, "Don't forget me!"

The guide poured water on her and she turned back to normal. He said, "Hot water change to normal, but cold water bring out curse again. This very bad, sirs."

"This is permanent?" Ranma said, feeling despair creeping in, "This is horrible!"

The guide nodded and said, "Too too tragic."

Genma didn't hide his disappointment. He clenched his fist and tears rolled down his eyes, "For the sake of the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts, we must find a cure. The very idea of my son becoming a girl makes me sick."

Ranma scowled and hit Genma over the head with the kettle. She yelled angrily, "What about you? This is all your fault! You brought me here."

Genma put his hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed it in a painful grip. He growled, "You agreed to this trip. You said you'd give your life for the Art."

"I never said I'd give up my manhood!"

"It's clear you've already lost it."

Ranma felt like he'd been stabbed. He needed his father; it killed him inside to think that his father would hate him for something he had no control over. His heart sunk deeply and a tidal wave of hopelessness washed over him, making his knees weak. He pouted involuntarily and walked out of the shack before tears would fall, slamming the door behind him.

He walked down the trail, rubbing his bruised shoulder. He thought back to what his father said. It wasn't surprising, but it didn't make him feel any better. His father hated women and anyone that acted even a little effeminate. Now he was cursed to become the very thing his father hated, probably for the rest of his life. He asked the darkening sky, "What did I ever do to deserve this?" There was no answer, except the sound of leaves blowing in the wind and a smell of humidity. He cursed the changing weather under his breath and ran back to the shack as fast as he could.

Ranma ran inside, looking pale and slammed the door behind him. Thunder rolled in the distance behind him followed by the sound of rain.

To his surprise, he saw his father flipping back and forth with his curse using hot and cold water and grew jealous. He pointed at him in outrage and accused, "You _like_ being a panda."

The panda grabbed a pen and a sign and wrote, "Yes."

Ranma shook his head in disbelief and said, "I can't handle this, pops. I want to go home."

Genma poured a little hot water on his head. When he back to his human form, he said, "No, not yet. Your curse There's something you should know."

"What?" Ranma asked with suspicion in his eyes.

"I've been writing an old friend of mine, a fellow practitioner of the same school of martial arts. He runs the Tendo training hall in Nerima ward of Tokyo. He told me that since we last talked, he and his wife had three daughters before she passed on. He would like an heir; someone who could keep alive the teachings of both schools."

Ranma looked at him, confused; his father had never had any friends. More often, he was known for stealing and conning people to get what he wanted, not making friends. He said, "Ok…"

Genma stated, "You were supposed to be that heir. Well, at least if you weren't cursed to become a weak panty-wetting little girl." He shook his head then looked at Ranma with disgust.

Ranma felt a lump in his throat as anger boiled inside him. He asked with hurt in his voice, "Why are you being like this? I don't want to get married. Why can't we go home?"

"We aren't going anywhere until we find a cure, and you will be married if I say you will. You are to stay away from cold water from now on, or you'll be punished."

Ranma couldn't believe how cold and insensitive his father was acting. He croaked, "Ok. I'll try, pops."


	2. Lying to the Tendos

Chapter 2 – Lying to the Tendos

Ranma was wet and covered in bruises, which meant that she had become a girl again. It had become a familiar feeling for her after three years of having found no cure for her condition. Her father had beaten her unconscious and taken her to Nerima with the intention of making good on marrying her off to one of Soun's daughters, now that she was 16. She woke up, slung over her father's damp and furry shoulders. Once she roused, she pushed herself off of him and began to scramble away from him angrily and out of fear.

She touched her bruise on the back of her head and demanded, "You know I can't help being a girl when I get wet. Where have you taken me?"

Her father produced a sign out of thin air and wrote, "Nerima."

"Please stop this, father. I am obviously in no shape to marry any girl." Ranma begged. She looked at the ground and said, "I'm not going."

Genma growled and punched her in the gut. Pain shot through her body and she fell to her knees, out of breath and ready to vomit. When she caught her breath, she retreated fearfully. She wanted to punch him back, but as she learned, her father stopped holding back in fights, and he taught her everything she knew. She pursed her lips pensively as a swirl of self-loathing took hold of her. She wanted to cry, but crying would only make him angry. She choked out under her breath, "I hate you."

Genma grabbed her with his claws and slung her over his shoulder. Onlookers gasped and shouted things like "Is that a panda?", "Did it escape from a zoo?" and "Someone should help that girl".

"Let me go!" Ranma yelled. She beat on the furry beast with her slender hands, but she lacked leverage in her current position and her father's fur was so thick she barely made an impact. He sprinted down the street until they arrived at a house with high walls around it. The sign read, "Tendo's Martial Arts: School of Indiscriminate Grappling"

Genma-panda set her down, pointed at her threateningly and then to the door and said, "Growf!"

Ranma threw herself on the ground bowing low with tears in her eyes, begging, "Dad! PLEASE! Don't do this! You can't be serious! I'm a freaking girl! Be reasonable! At least let me get some hot water."

Genma picked her up by her arm and angrily knocked on the door. Ranma waved her hands in a panic and covered her face. She cried, "No!" She tried to pull away, but the panda held her still. When they heard footsteps, he let her go. She wiped her tears on her hands and pushed on her cheeks to hide the redness.

A young woman in an apron and a friendly face opened the door. She looked curiously at the drenched and bruised red-haired girl standing next to a giant panda. She asked, "Oh my. Are you ok?"

With a sigh, Ranma bowed politely, wiped her eyes again and with a nervous shiver said, "I'm Saotome Genma's daughter. I'm here to see Mr. Tendo."

"I'm sorry. I had no idea father was expecting company. I'm Tendo Kasumi." The girl bowed politely and said, "Please, come in."

Ranma wrung out her shirt before entering. She took off her shoes and followed Kasumi into the main living room. Her father followed, leaving tracks of water and the musk of a wet animal in his wake.

Kasume led them to a traditional living room. The back of it had a half-open sliding door and short-legged table with pillows around it for sitting. In the back near the door was a man smoking a pipe and reading a newspaper. He had long black hair and a mustache. He struck Ranma as a family man. He set his newspaper down to see who had shown up and was a little taken aback by the 6 foot panda standing next to a Chinese girl with red hair.

An awkward silence followed. Ranma's father pushed her towards the table forcefully. She gave him a hurtful look then walked to the table in front of Mr. Tendo. She pushed some wet hair out of her face, but she didn't know what to say.

Leaning against a wall in the corner was a teenage girl with short brown hair. She was playing with a calculator and sucking on a lollypop. She had some kind of ledger book and a pen on her lap. She looked up from her calculator and stared at Ranma while twirling her lolly in her mouth by the stick.

Kasumi bowed slightly to her father and said, "Father, she says she's the daughter of Saotome Genma. Were you expecting her?"

Mr. Tendo said, "No. I didn't even know my old friend _had_ a daughter. Where are my manners? Please, have a seat, young lady. Kasumi, please fetch her a towel and maybe a few extras for the panda."

The red-haired girl sat nervously on one of the pillows. She bowed her head and introduced herself using her usual made up name for occasions when she was female. She said, "I'm Saotome Ranko." She gestured at the panda and added, "This is, uh… Panda-kun."

Tendo bowed, "I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Tendo Soun. This is my middle daughter Nabiki."

The girl next to him pulled her lollypop out of her mouth and bowed slightly. She studied the giant panda curiously then Ranma.

Tendo puffed on his pipe and wrinkled his brow in thought. He pulled out his pipe and said, "Are you Nodoka's child?" Soun asked, "I'm sorry if I'm making a big assumption, but the resemblance is uncanny."

Ranma smiled sadly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Tendo. I was very little when I saw her last. I can't even remember what she looked like."

"I'm sure your father can introduce you two when he shows up."

Genma shifted around uncomfortably. Ranma looked at him with a strange expression. There were the sound of footsteps from the hallway and soon another teenage girl with long dark hair and a gi walked into the room and casually noticed Ranma. She had a towel draped around her neck. She used it to dab the sweat off of her face and neck with it. She saw Ranma and her animal companion and asked, "Who is this?"

"Akane, this is my old friend's daughter, Saotome Ranko." Soun said, gesturing to Ranma.

The two girls bowed at each other.

Soun asked, "Where did your father go? Is he here in Nerima?"

The panda bumped Ranma as if to say, "Careful how you answer." She looked at him and then back to Tendo and said, "No, we were uh…separated in China." She lowered her eyes and added, "I came here to Nerima to find him, but I haven't found him. He said he was friends with you, so I checked here first."

Kasumi's face showed concern. "Father, she is wearing wet clothes. Why don't you let her stay here until Mr. Saotome shows up? She is going to be a member of the family, soon, so it wouldn't be right to turn her out."

Nabiki pulled her lolly out of her mouth and her elegant eyebrow raised. "'Member of the family?'"

Akane looked shocked. She sat down at the table next to her father and asked, "You're not _marrying_ this girl are you?"

"N-no." Tendo replied, sweating a little and said, "Nothing of the sort. You're right, Kasumi. She can stay here as our guest until we sort things out. She can share a room with Akane."

Akane demanded, "Dad! Explain how she is going to be a part of our family."

"Sorry, dear. Well, as all of you should know, I am blessed with you three beautiful daughters, and I'm not getting any younger. Because of your mother's passing, there are no more chances to have an heir to carry on our school. As luck would have it, my old friend Saotome Genma, of the Anything Goes Martial Arts School, has a son. We will arrange a marriage with Genma's son and have an heir to carry on the school's name."

Kasumi smiled and said, "Interesting What's he like? I hope he's my age."

Nabiki asked, "Is he cute?"

Akane folded her arms angrily and said, "I can run a dojo as well as any stupid boy. I don't see the point in marrying some boy I don't even know."

Nabiki turned to Akane and argued, "You're forgetting that business is still a man's world, sister dear."

Akane's temper burned and she gazed evenly at Nabiki. She asked rhetorically, "What about honor?" She walked to her father and put her hand on his shoulder, "You may not care, Nabiki, but it's important to _me _to represent what our father, what our _ancestors_ built here."

Soun said, "Akane, it is important to all of us that we are honorable. But this is more than just about the dojo. You may want a family someday."

Akane glared at her father and complained, "I'm only 16! Let Nabiki marry him. Let _her_ stay home and take care of children while her _husband _works. I never asked for this."

Nabiki glared at Akane contemptuously.

Ranma began to feel awkward being in the midst of a family squabble. To make matters worse, her lies made her stomach clench up. She looked at her father and then herself in shame. It may have been embarrassing to reveal her secret to the Tendos, but it just as bad to lie to them. She wanted to find some hot water somewhere and escape back to China. She looked down at the teacups and teapot sitting on the table in front of her; it could be very simple. She could dump it on herself and make it look like an accident, and then her father couldn't blame her for messing up his stupid plans. She was sure he wouldn't try to hurt her with all of these people watching.

She thought back to what how strangely her father acted when her mother was brought up. It wasn't the first time he seemed nervous about any mention of her mom. She wondered why he had resisted going to see her earlier that day, too. Her instincts were telling her that her mother might be an ally against him. The mystery surrounding her could be solved with a little manipulation. She lowered her head and said, "Tendo-san, I feel sorry for your loss. I am sure your wife would have wanted to be a part of this wedding. I am sure my mother would too. It seems only proper that an Omiai would be arranged so that Ranma could meet each girl and make a decision."

Kasumi clapped her hands together and smiled, She said, "That would be wonderful. I haven't seen a real Omiai before."

Soun nodded. "What you say is true, Saotome-chan. I want your mother's blessings and help in the process. Kasumi, could you help with the arrangements? Please contact Saotome Nodoka. I have her phone number in the file."

The panda's eyes widened. Genma didn't know what to do. There were certain agreements that would be in jeopardy if Nodoka found out about the situation.

"I'll call her right away! I can't wait!" Kasumi said cheerfully. She walked towards the telephone.

Genma made a strange growling noise that sounded more like a whine and jumped up. He ran out of the sliding door and vaulted over the fence. Everyone looked at each other in confusion, including Ranma.

Ranma rubbed the back of her head with a slight grin and suggested, "Maybe he doesn't like weddings?"

Everyone laughed, including Ranma. She grew serious quickly, thinking, '_What are you afraid of, pop?' _All her young life, there was something about her mother that made her father afraid. She took comfort in knowing he had a weakness she could exploit.

Tendo smiled and said to Ranma, "Why don't you go tidy up. This rain water is bad for my floors."

Akane grabbed Ranma's hand and said, "Come with me, Saotome-san. I have a nice dry gi you can wear."

Ranma bowed and said, "Thank you, Tendo-san."

"Tendo-san is too formal. You heard my father, you are family here. Call me Akane."

Ranma smiled, "Likewise. Call me Ranko."

"I think Ran-chan is cuter." Akane said playfully, smiling. She grabbed a gi off of a shelf and held it out against Ranma's figure appraisingly. "This might fit you. Please try it on."

Ranma looked around to see if anyone was peeping in. She fumbled with her button on her silk Chinese shirt. Akane sat on a wooden bench and waited.

Akane asked, "Do you know kempo?"

"A little." Ranma replied. She began to pop buttons through the eyelets of her Chinese silk shirt. Her formidable breasts emerged from them.

Akane felt a tiny pang of jealousy over the size of Ranma's breasts. She asked as delicately as she could, "Doesn't it hurt to go without support?"

Ranma tilted her head in confusion and asked, "Support?"

"You know…A bra."

Ranma felt her throat go dry and said, "Oh. I don't have any."

"Oh. You live with your father. I guess that makes sense. My dad wouldn't get caught dead going into a lingerie section of a store." Akane said, then, with a nostalgic smile, said, "That was my mother's job before she passed away."

"I don't have any memories of my mother," Ranma said sadly. She removed her pants, revealing her boxer shorts and then put the gi on.

Akane's grimaced and said encouragingly, "Hey, it's alright, isn't it? We both still have our dads." She looked down at the boxers on the floor. "Uh, Ran-chan, those are for boys. Why on earth would you be wearing those?"

Ranma felt a rising sense of panic. She didn't want to be exposed because of a detail like that. She thought quickly and asked nervously, "Do you think I'm weird?"

Akane said softly, "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

Ranma had no idea what to say. Her dad would be extremely angry with her if she wore panties. She could use that to help with her story. She explained, "My dad believes that feminine clothing like that detracts from the purity and strength of the Art. He has this idea that it would make me soft and weak."

"Ran-chan, you don't believe him, do you?" Akane asked with a surprised tone.

Ranma shrugged, "He's my dad. What am I supposed to believe?"

Akane couldn't believe her ears. She argued, "You can't wear that forever. What about your period? Boxers won't hold a pad."

Ranma looked confused, "Period? I don't understand."

Akane looked at Ranma like she grew a second head. She explained, "It's the blood that comes from down here." She gestured between her legs.

Ranma shrugged and said, "I don't think I've ever had one before."

Akane laughed, "You must have. I sometimes don't notice I've spotted blood until it's too late."

Ranma thought about it. She was pretty sure she never had one. She asked curiously, "Why do we have periods?"

"Your dad didn't explain _that _either?" Akane's cheeks reddened.

"Will you?" Ranma asked hopefully.

Akane face-palmed and sighed. "Yes. This is embarrassing, but someone has to."

Akane said with difficulty, "You have… eggs in two places called ovaries. These eggs are like half a baby. In order to make one of them into a whole baby, you need something from a boy."

"So I need another egg from a boy? Like another half?"

Akane shook her head and kind of laughed, "Sort of. Men have sperm. It's different."

Ranma thought about her male form. She wondered if she could make a baby on her own since she had both. She looked thoughtful and asked, "What do the egg and sperm look like?"

"They're too small to see. Anyway, your egg waits for the sperm to join with it in a special place." Akane took Ranma's hand and pressed it against Ranma's belly where her uterus was. "Right there, in your uterus. It is like a hollow bag and has a coating of blood along its walls. Once a month it cleans itself by shedding a layer of blood off. This provides a clean place for the egg to attach to and grow in."

"I feel so stupid sometimes, Akane-chan." Ranma said sadly. "I'm sorry."

Akane hugged Ranma and said warmly, "No, don't be. Your father or your school should have told you about all of this. This is all good information, but we're both not ready to have children yet. The time will be right when we are older and have someone special that we love and care about to share in the experience. This is why I'm against this marriage. I know my father wants me to marry your brother, but that decision should be up to me. I want to love the person I marry."

Ranma looked down and said softly, "I do too, but I don't think anyone will have me."

"You're crazy! Just look at you," Akane said encouragingly, "…you're beautiful and a nice girl, Ran-chan."

Ranma's smiled a little and asked, "What will you do if your dad decides you are to marry Ranma-kun?"

"I would probably get very mad at him. No offense to your brother. I hate boys."

"Why?"

"I have a lot of problems with them at school. Kuno-senpai started a contest. The man who defeats me is supposed to be able to date me. He made the rule, probably because he wants to. Now every morning, I'm stuck fighting my way to class. I just wish I could meet someone who cared about me and wasn't some kind of freak." Akane sighed. "Do you have any guy friends?"

Ranma thought about it. Her best friend was from before her curse. She said, "I had one, a long time ago. His name was Kuonji Ukyo. His dad ran an okonomiyaki cart. Then one day, my father ran off with the cart and me and left him behind. I really miss Ukyo."

"See? You're not hopeless. You just need to make some more friends." Akane said encouragingly. She put her arm around Ranma and said, "I have always had my sisters, so I didn't see many boys until I went to school. There were a few boys that played with me when I was really young, but when I got older and learned martial arts, they looked down on me because I was a girl."

Ranma looked up at the light-bulb hanging from the ceiling and said warmly, "I wouldn't have done that to you."

"Thanks," Akane said then asked, "Did you have the same problems making friends with boys?"

Ranma enjoyed the support she was feeling. She wanted to share a lot more, but her lie was in the way. She imagined herself as always having been a girl. Maybe it would be easier to tell her story from a woman's point of view.

Ranma explained, "No. Dad sent me to an all-boys school, so I had a lot of boys to talk to. He didn't want me to be around other girls. It was all part of his crazy idea about toughing me up and making me into a master of martial arts."

Akane said, "Your father was wrong to do that." She held Ranma's hand and said, "Those were the years you should be playing with other girls and having friends. Keeping you from your mother was wrong too. Who are you going to have as a role model when you grow up? Bruce Lee? What if you want to get married?"

Ranma laughed, "Hey, I like Bruce Lee, but…" She looked around to make sure no panda was around, "You're right. I should have been with my mother. I prayed for her to be with me. I hoped she could make him like he used to be before my training trip. All I can think of anymore is how much I hate what he does to me. But I also remember the times when he was good to me."

"We both needed our mothers," Akane said and gently stroked Ranma's arm. She looked sad and said, "But I feel sorry for you because you haven't even been allowed to be the girl that you are."

"You're right…a girl." Ranma agreed halfheartedly. She wanted to just let the truth come out. If only she could tell Akane how much suffering she endured at the hands of her father. She held Akane's hands and said, "Look, there's something about my dad that I haven't told anyone. I need someone to talk to. Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes, you have my promise."


	3. Ranma's Story

Chapter 3 Ranma's Story

Ranma started her story by saying, "My father wanted my brother to be the best martial artist in the world. He felt the only path to getting there was through masculinity. He was so obsessed it that he started to treat me just the same as my brother so that I could improve my martial arts."

Akane asked, "Did you and your brother get along?"

Ranma looked away. She closed her eyes and said, "Yes. We're very close, but my father was never happy with me. He always said that girls were too soft. I was always a bit of a tomboy, but dad wasn't satisfied with me just acting like a boy. He wanted me to …to dress like one too."

Akane patted Ranma's shoulder and said, "So that's why you're wearing boxer shorts, then?"

Ranma nodded.

"Have you ever worn a bra and panties before?"

"Yes, years ago. We were living in a hotel in China after our training trip in the mountains … ended badly. Pops was pulling some dirty tricks to get money and food to pay for the room. One evening, he said he ran into someone from his past who he called 'master'. He told me he was going out with him that night and wouldn't be back until later.

Ranma looked at a light bulb hanging from the ceiling and explained, "He came back early in the morning wearing a mask and carrying a large bag. I asked him what was in it, but he wouldn't tell me. He was tired, so he went to bed not long after he showed up. I was really curious about what was in the bag, so I snuck a look. It was full of panties and bras."

Akane fumed, "That thieving pervert."

"Yeah, I was pretty sure it was stolen. It was pretty obvious; some of them had names sown on them. Anyway, I was curious about them but wasn't sure what to do. I knew if he woke up and saw me looking into his bag, he'd be upset. I grabbed a big handful of them. It was the first time I've ever held something like that in my hands. I played it safe and stashed them away where he couldn't find them.

"The next morning, he went into the public bath to clean off, I stayed home and took the opportunity to look at the bra and panties I had been hiding. I tried them on and was amazed at how comfortable they felt… and how feminine it made me feel. I also felt guilty for disobeying him." Ranma looked up and sighed. Her eyes shimmered a little. "Unfortunately, I was spending too much time trying them all on, and he showed up at the door while I was modeling them in the mirror."

"How embarrassing." Akane sympathized.

"He threw his bath kit on the ground and yelled at me. He asked, 'where did you get that?'. I was so scared, I could barely answer him. I told him I was sorry." Ranma sighed. "The last thing I ever wanted to do was to disappoint him. But he was…very angry with me. He ripped all of my underwear off of me and said if he caught me wearing it again, he'd disappear and never come back."

Akane looked shocked yet sympathetic. She asked delicately, "What happened after that? Did you obey him?"

"Yes, for a while. But by the time I was 14, I was pretty big in the chest already. I quickly learned that it was nearly impossible to go without some kind of support. I rebelled and thought I'd just sneak a bra on during our training trip in the mountains. I was careless during one our sparring matches and my shirt tore open accidentally. He saw my bra and he looked shocked. He didn't order me to take it off; instead he said 'I'm going for a walk.' and left."

"He came back after a couple of days. He said he knew how to fix everything." Ranma rubbed her arms and shuddered, "It was when he got back that things got bad. He had a book on some kind of ancient training technique he wanted to try that would 'put the fight back in me'. I was worried that he hated me, so I couldn't help but agree to whatever he wanted.

"He said, 'I am going to show you the training method of the legendary Cat-fist.' He led me to an abandoned warehouse. Then he had me stand still while he tied me up. I think I started freaking out when he opened a trap door. I tried to ask him what he was doing, but he wouldn't answer. H-he took out some fish sausages out of the bag and began to wrap them around me then said, 'I thought I trained you hard enough and toughened you up. But then you disappointed me.' He held up the bra I wore before. He threw it into the pit. I could hear a strange mewling sound. When I looked down, I saw a small room with hundreds of ... hundreds of...c-cats."

Akane covered her mouth in horror.

"H-he pushed me into the hole and I landed on the floor with all of those sausages, then he shut the trap door and locked me in."

Akane put her arms around Ranma and hugged her. She held the girl at arm's length and said, "I'll can never forgive him for what he's done to you. I'll kill him."

"No, Akane-chan, please don't do anything," Ranma pleaded, "He's too strong. Why do you think I haven't done anything so far?"

Akane said, "I don't care how good he thinks he is. If I ever see him lay a hand on you, he's a dead man. What kind of monster would do something like that to their own child?"

"He does have a softer side to him." Ranma defended, trying to calm Akane down, "When I started to have nightmares about c-cats, I would cry in my sleep. After two weeks of this, he disappeared. There was a note by my bed. It said, 'I'll be back when I can find a cure.' I know it sounds bad, but I was sure he was mad at himself for making me suffer."

Akane shook her head, "Ran-chan, he left his only daughter in a Hotel with no way to survive. I know you want to believe he's acting in your best interests, but he isn't good for you."

"I won't defend my father's actions. I did suffer because of him leaving like he did…" Ranma said, trailing off in thought. The truth was, her father was trying to find a cure for the curse, even if he did leave her with no way to survive. She had been kicked out of the hotel room and slept outside. She was female most of the time because of being outside in the rain and having no access to hot water. She continued, "…I begged for food to survive. Sometimes I flirted with guys when that didn't work. One of them offered to give me a place to stay. When I arrived at his place, he tried to undress me against my will. I beat him up, but it left me shaken. One day, I was in the market feeling sorry for myself. I asked a guy if he'd buy me some food when a lady said, 'A proper young lady shouldn't act like that.' She asked me where my parents were, and when I told her about my father, she took me in."

"Thank Kami-sama." Akane said, slightly relieved.

"She was so wonderful. She enrolled me in school, bought me clothes and gave me a room of my own. I was really happy. Things were going well. My adopted mother really cared about me. She helped me with my fears, too."

"A year went by and I had made some friends and adjusted to my new life until one day I came from school wearing my school uniform. I heard some shouting in the living room, so I went to see what was going on. My father was there… enraged and shouting with my foster mother. He said that there was no way he'd allow me to be raised like a sissy. Anyway, I was still scared of him, so I apologized to him and told him it was my foster mother's idea to wear the girl's clothes and promised him I'd take them off. He said that wasn't good enough; but I stood up to him and said I wouldn't go. He punched me in the face, and my foster mom called the police. Before he ran off, he said, 'I just went all over China to find a cure for your weakness and this is how you repay me?'" Ranma knew the cure was for her curse so she could "man up" and get over her girlish fears, but couldn't tell Akane that.

"What happened after that?"

"He snuck into my room at night, knocked me out and kidnapped me. When I woke up, I was back in the mountains. That's when we met up with the Amazons and were chased out of China."

"I don't understand something, Ranko. Why didn't your brother try to help you? How could he stand by while you're being abused?"

Ranma realized her mistake. She didn't think to add her male self into the story. She said, "Because he was afraid of his father like me."

Akane hugged Ranma tightly and said, "You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you."

Ranma hugged back and rest her head on the taller girl's shoulder. She let some tears fall and said, tremulously, "I hope so."

"Let's not think about it. How about we go have a sparring match, okay?"

Ranma nodded.


	4. Two Girls and a Cupped Breast

Chapter 4 – Two Girls and a Cupped Breast

Both of the girls walked to the main practice room.

Akane looked at the other girl in front of her. She heard about the Anything Goes branch of the school from her father. The school involved an aerial style.

"Prepare yourself, Ranko." She said with a smile. She set a timer on the sparring clock. They bowed and changed into their fighting stances.

Akane took the first move. She did a forward run, jumped off her left leg, and swung her foot upwards in an arc. Ranma moved aside. Akane's foot smashed through a wall behind her. She pulled her leg out and began to switch to a speed tactic. With a deep exhale, she jabbed quickly with her hands, but Ranma was dodging at the same incredible rate. After a couple of rounds of attempts, she bent over and breathed heavily. Sweat dripped off her forehead._ Can she read my moves?_ Akane thought to herself.

With renewed resolve, she tried again and again, but the redhead lept in the air, did a somersault, and tapped Akane on the forehead with her finger. With a smile, she said, "1 Point."

Akane smirked, did a leg sweep, but Ranma jumped over it. She rolled into a standing position and felt a wind over her head as she ducked to avoid a punch.

Ranma dominated the match by completely avoiding all of Akane's hits. It wasn't long before the timer rang and they had to end the match. Akane said, "Looks like we're out of time. You beat me."

Ranma and Akane bowed towards each other. Akane wiped sweat from her forehead and smiled. "You're really good. It's a good thing you're not a boy."

Ranma felt her male pride hurt a little, "Why is that?"

"If I lose to a boy, I'd ..." Akane clenched her fists. "I'd train harder and defeat him for sure."

"What's the big deal about losing to a guy?" Ranma asked, raising an eyebrow and giving Akane a funny look.

"All of the men I know are perverts. The boys I fight on my way to class every morning are reason enough to think so."

"I don't like to have that much attention."

"Me either. Let's hit the showers."

Ranma fidgeted, "I don't know, Akane. I haven't ever been completely naked in front of anyone before. Aren't you embarrassed?"

Akane shook her head, "No, no. Of course not. I have two other sisters, after all. We took baths together, dressed, and so on. I don't see why there'd be anything to feel embarrassed about." She looked at Ranma sympathetically. "You traveled with your dad your whole life, right? You couldn't take your clothes off around him to preserve your modesty. We're both girls, Ran-chan. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Ranma's mind turned to the thought of hot water changing her. Her eyes grew big and she panicked. What if she changed into a man in front of Akane? _I'll just have to make sure the water is cold enough!_

Akane led her to the women's changing room and unbelted her gi. She let the white cloth fall down around her ankles. Ranma's pulse quickened and her nipples stiffened. Akane looked at Ranma strangely. "Aren't you going to get undressed?"

Ranma turned red in the face.

"It's no big deal. Trust me, okay?"Akane said and grabbed the belt on Ranma's gi.

Ranma reflexively pushed her hands away and asked, "What are you doing?"

Akane blushed and giggled, "I'm helping you get over your fear." She pulled off the belt quickly. Her eyes widened when she saw Ranma's breasts again. She decided to take a chance and comment on them, "They're _huge_."

Ranma reflexively covered her breasts with her hands, but Akane wasn't going to have any of it. She forcefully pulled Ranma's gi down and onto the floor. "Come on.." She urged, grabbing the other girl's hand. "Stop being such a baby."

Ranma was towed into the shower with a timid protest, "Please don't... Akane... I'll go."

Akane let go, walked over to her shower and turned the knob to medium-hot and pulled it. Warm refreshing steamy water pelted her back. She cooed, "This isn't so bad, eh?"

Ranma sighed but tried to smile agreeably, despite her embarrassment. She shyly walked towards a shower nozzle with her hands covering her breasts. She turned the shower knob to the approximate middle setting and fearfully turned on the water. _Good. Just the right temperature, _she thought. She leaned back and let the water cascade over her soft white shoulders and down the slopes of her large breasts. She worked her fingers through her hair and grabbed a bottle of shampoo. She stepped away from the stream of water and lathered her hair.

Akane wet her own hair. She grabbed some soap and lathered it up in her hands. "So, back home, is there someone you like?"

Ranma shook her head and said, "No."

"So, does that mean you haven't dated a boy yet?"

Ranma blanched and shook her head, "Sort of. When my breasts came in, I couldn't hide behind being a tomboy as easily anymore. Boys started asking me to go have tea with them. I found out what that meant after I said 'yes' to one of them. My father found out about it and beat me and the boy up." She leaned back and let the cool water rinse out her hair. The soap washed out and cascaded down her slick glistening breasts to her perfect pink areolas.

Akane noticed how perfect Ranma's figure was. She lifted her own breasts in her hands and looked down at them. She thought, _Mine really haven't grown at all since last year. _She focused on the warm water and lathered up. After rinsing herself off, she continued the conversation, "I'm sure you'll find a boy in Nerima. There are plenty that go to my school. I can't stand them though. I'm pinning my hopes on finding the right guy in college."

Ranma thought about school. What if she changed sex in class in front of everyone? Cold water followed her like a magnet. Her father would say, "Stop being such a weak little sissy, Ranma." Ranma would reply, "But you stay as a panda all of the time, pops. Isn't that the same thing?" She learned quickly not to ask that question again after her beating. She purged the thoughts as best she could. _There's no sense in rehashing the past. He never understood my feelings. _She grabbed some soap and did a quick job of washing and rinsing off her body. She pushed the nozzle on the water and was about to go grab her towel.

Akane stared at her.

Ranma self-consciously asked, "What?"

"You're not seriously going to leave the shower without conditioning your hair are you?"

"Oh right." Ranma said. "I'm sorry, I'm used to bathing in rivers and lakes." She pulled a bottle off of a shelf and read the directions. She looked at Akane. She asked, "So I just dab some of this in my hair and let it stay in?"

Akane rolled her eyes and said, "Here, I'll show you." She turned off her shower and walked over.

Ranma's thoughts were perilously close to overload as the warm, wet, and steamy Akane grabbed the bottle of conditioner from her. Ranma could feel the young woman's body heat from where she was standing. Akane squirted conditioner on her hand and started to work it into Ranma's hair. She smiled, "Just sit still, okay? You have to work this stuff into all of your hair, not just the scalp."

Ranma smiled. She liked having someone take care of her. Akane's breasts touched her arm several times, causing Ranma to get excited. She closed her eyes so she could calm herself down, but the sensations were too much. Heat started creeping through her body. Akane squirted some more conditioner on her hands and worked more into Ranma's red hair. "You look like you're enjoying this." She giggled.

Ranma wanted to touch the agitated spot between her legs. It was like an itch that needed to be scratched. She started to feel tears building up in her eyes. It was torture feeling that way and not being in a situation to fix it.

Akane commanded, "Now rinse."

Ranma opened her eyes and saw Akane standing a few inches from her. Her cheeks turned rosy and she turned around to pull the knob. The cool water sprayed both of them. Akane rinsed her hands off in Ranma's shower. Ranma was relieved to find the cold water took the edge off of the heat she was feeling. Ranma finished rinsing her hair and turned off the water.

"Thanks for your help." Ranma sighed dreamily.

Akane laughed. "It's no big deal." She went off to her own shower to finish conditioning her own hair.

Ranma grabbed a towel and rubbed herself down until she was reasonably dry. She wrapped it around herself and went back into the changing room. Her thoughts kept returning to a wet Akane and she felt a warm tingle. '_What's wrong with me?' _she thought_, 'I feel so strange.'_

Akane walked in to join her and let her towel drop to the floor. She opened up her locker and said happily, "I feel refreshed."

Ranma felt curious about why she felt so good when Akane touched her. She looked up at Akane and hid her face in embarrassment as another tingling feeling came from her crotch. It was almost aching. Her skin was hot and her breathing increased. "S-so do I."

Akane took her panties out of the locker and walked over to the trash. She peeled off a pantie liner and put a fresh one in. Ranma curiously looked at what Akane was doing. Akane noticed and said, "Do you need one? I have some more if you do."

"What are they?" Ranma asked, her eyes trailing down to Akane's crotch. A trickle of warm moisture ran down Ranma's thigh. She hoped she wasn't peeing on herself.

Akane said, slightly embarrassed. "Oh right. This is for my period. It soaks up the blood so I don't stain my panties. Do you need one too?"

Ranma squirmed and started to get really agitated. She shook her head, trying to focus on the conversation, but it was no use. She was going crazy with excitement. She shook her head negatively at Akane, trying to refocus on the conversation.

Akane slipped her panties on and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know." Ranma cried, this time with tears in her eyes. "I feel so weird."

Akane nodded, "You were out in the rain without an umbrella. I'm not surprised." She wrapped her bra strap around her chest backwards with the clasp in front. With a deft ministration of her fingers, she connected the ends together, turned it around and looped her arms in.

Ranma stood up. Her legs were shaky. "Maybe you're right. I should go lie down."

"I'll have Kasumi bring you some hot tea." Akane offered. "I have a brush and a hair dryer you can use in my room."

Ranma shrugged, "I can just put my hair in a pigtail."

Akane approached Ranma and lifted the ends of her hair to look at it. "Your ends are split. You really need to dry it properly and take better care of it."

"You're nagging me." Ranma smirked.

"I guess I am, a little." Akane said sheepishly, "Anyway, let's go to my room."

Ranma realized that her opportunity to change back into a boy were disappearing. She had to change before her mother showed up sooner or later.


	5. Red and Silky

Chapter 5 – Red and Silky

Akane walked into the kitchen with Ranma. Kasumi fussed with a lily she was arranging in a vase. Noticing the two girls, she wiped her hands on her apron and said, "Please try not to get the floor wet again. I just mopped."

Without thinking, Ranma looked down to see and her hair fell forward and dripped onto it. She blushed, and said, "Sorry!"

"Could you bring us some tea in my room, Onee-chan?" Akane asked, "I want to make our guest feel at home."

"Of course." Kasumi replied, grabbing the mop and touching up the floor again.

Akane grabbed Ranma's hand and led her upstairs. On the second floor the rain outside could be heard better, mainly because it was an old house. They walked down a hallway and a turn to the right, they stopped by a door. It had a little wooden duck sign with "Akane" written out in Romaji. Ranma touched it with her slender finger and said, "Cute!"

"Arigato. Kasumi made me that," Akane said with a light tinge to her cheeks, then added with an apologetic bow, "I haven't had a chance to clean my room, so please excuse the mess." Akane opened the door and ushered the other girl in.

The first thing Ranma noticed was the room was decorated in a martial arts theme. A bokken leaned against a disheveled bed. Posters of martial artists hung on the wall. Various free weights were either on the floor or on a rack near the closet. A few body building magazines were strewn over a chair. The only thing that seemed _feminine_ was Akane's bed. It had pictures of little animals on the blanket. She had to appreciate the girl's sense of style; it wasn't far from her own tastes. Akane started looking around her room for her grooming kit.

Ranma wandered around the room, browsing through Akane's things. There was a martial arts trophy on a dresser. Curious, she tilted it to get a good look at the label. Akane was 1st place in a kenpo tournament a year ago, apparently. There were also some pictures of her with friends from school and her family next to where the trophy was.

"What is your rank, Akane?"

"In kenpo?" Akane asked, rifling through a drawer.

"Yes."

"Yodan."

"I've never been to a tournament before." Ranma said softly. She peered at the window. There were a thousand dots of rain running down the glass. The weather outside hadn't let up. There was something serene about the sound of the drops hitting the glass, but looking down at her body, she couldn't help but think about the pain water represented in her life. It was a catalyst for her curse and her father's abuse. She suddenly felt sad again. She pushed her thoughts back and tried to live in the present.

"Have you ever used one of these before?" Akane asked while inspecting the hair dryer's nozzle.

Ranma shook her head and fingered her damp hair. "There was never any electricity on the road. Dad taught me how to tie my hair into a pigtail so I could keep it out of my face."

Akane made a face and said, "I wouldn't expect your father to know how to manage hair. I'll show you the right way to do it."

"Okay."

"Please, sit on my bed, first."

Ranma eyed the hair dryer and said, "It's not going to hurt, is it?"

"No, not at all. It's actually really nice."

Ranma sat on the edge of Akane's bed and uncontrollably blushed. She was very embarrassed; being pampered by a virtual stranger wasn't something she was used to.

Akane sat down next to her and plugged her hair dryer in. It roared to life and started blowing warm air loudly. She edged closer and said, "Okay. Lean your head forward."

Ranma did so. She didn't know what to expect, so she felt nervous and shaky. She pulled her knees together and fidgeted.

Akane rolled her eyes in irritation and groused, "Honestly, Ran-chan, I told you this is not going to hurt. Please try to relax, okay?" She grabbed some hair and pulled it down, so that it dangled in scarlet wavy locks. Afterwards, she ran her fingers through to separate it and untangle it a little. The hair was soft in her fingers. She smiled and said, "Your hair is so pretty."

"Arigato." Ranko replied softly with rosy cheeks. Her feminine pride swelled slightly.

Akane focused on the top of Ranma's head and sank her brush into the spaces between hair around Ranma's scalp. She turned the brush slightly and lifted it. This caused Ranma's roots and scalp to become more accessible. She aimed the dryer there. She raised her voice above the blow dryer, explaining, "You always want to dry the top first, so the water there doesn't drip on the rest of the hair."

Ranma nodded and stared at her lap, since it was the only thing she could see. As Akane moved the dryer around, the warmth and the smell of her conditioner awoken old memories of her mother. Akane gently separated a lock from below Ranma's chin. She deftly held it in place with her brush and moved the blow dryer up and down each portion. Ranma's smiled dreamily, enjoying the feel of alternating sensations of warmth and dampness. Akane continued pulling more and more hair down and drying it carefully. When she was done with the sides and front hair, she said, "Please turn." She grabbed Ranma's shoulders gently and showed her where and how she wanted the smaller girl to sit. She sat on her knees behind Ranma. "Please lift your head now."

"H-hai." Ranma answered obediently and tilted her head back.

Akane pulled red hair up from the back of Ranma's head with her brush and positioned the hair dryer underneath. Ranma's head bobbed slightly with each gentle tug on her hair.

Ranma shed a happy tear for the kindness Akane was showing her. It was the first time ever that someone groomed her. She wiped her eye with the back of her hand. Luckily for her, they were hidden behind locks of wavy red hair. She murmured, "Arigato, Akane."

Akane tilted her head, feeling pleased with the results as she finished drying Ranma's hair. She ran her soft bristled brush through it slowly. The sensation of the bristles massaging her scalp brought back some of the tingles she was feeling earlier in the shower. Her nipples pressed against the rough fabric of her robe. There was a knock on the door that made Ranma jump a little.

Kasumi opened the door and walked in. She had a tray with teacups and a steaming kettle. "Here is your tea, sis," she said, walking towards the girls. She didn't see her feet very well due to the tray and accidentally tripped on a fold in the carpet. Ranma grabbed a pillow and shielded herself from the flying kettle which tumbled over and spilled hot water all over Akane and the pillow Ranma held.

"Ow! Hot hot hot," Akane cried, wincing from the pain in her lap.

"I'm so sorry, Akane. I'll get some burn ointment." Kasumi said, setting the tray down on Akane's desk. She rushed out of the room in a hurry.

Akane grimaced from the pain and slid open her robe, showing off her pink tender thighs. She bent over and inspected it closely. She muttered, "It's just a superficial burn. Nothing too bad."

Ranma tossed the wet pillow aside and nearly cried in relief. Her secret was still safe. She looked at Akane's thighs and felt excitement again. She looked away. "I'm sorry for getting your pillow wet," then said, "I'm glad it didn't hit me. My skin is very sensitive and burns very easily. I couldn't let that water hit me."

Akane shook her head, "No, it's okay. I'm just glad you're alright. There are some spare pillows in the attic, anyway."

Kasumi returned with the ointment and handed it to Akane with another apology. Akane told her not to worry and shooed her out. She grinned at Ranma and said, "She still treats me like I'm a little girl."

Ranma smiled and flipped her silky red hair over to one shoulder and said, "I wouldn't mind being babied a little by an older sister...or a mother. I think I may be jealous."

"Hey, cheer up," Akane said, recognizing the depressed tone Ranma had. "It's not all its cracked up to be. I mean...I'm the youngest sister and because of that, I'm constantly being underestimated. My dad doesn't train me or take me seriously in martial arts. Nobody likes my cooking. And Nabiki bullies me and tries to get me to do things I don't want to do through bribery or blackmail."

Ranma sighed, "I guess I try harder to feel better about myself. I am just unhappy with my situation, and I'm really worried about my future. I've never had any other family other than my brother and my father."

"I'm sorry, Ranko-chan." Akane said, touching Ranma's shoulder, "I would like for you to stay with us. I can't stand the thought of you being hurt by your father anymore."

"I appreciate that, but I should live with my mother, if she'll have me. But, please let me have the option open to stay here. Would that be okay?"

Akane said, "I'll ask dad. I can't imagine him objecting since you and I will be sisters, practically soon."

"Thanks, Akane. You're a real friend."

Akane hugged Ranma from behind and said, "It's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak."

Ranma pouted and said, "Since when am I weak?"

Akane scratched the back of her head and admitted, "Okay, so you beat me in our match. I am sorry, but when I see you looking so pretty and petite, it's hard to think of you as tough. Personally, I'd use the word 'adorable'."

Ranma blushed furiously and said meekly, "Do you really think I'm adorable?"

"Yes! That gives me a good idea, too. I have a few things I can loan you. Some really cute stuff. It's not my style, but on you..."

"No, I'm fine, really..." Ranma groaned, but Akane wouldn't listen. She already was going through some drawers and pulling out some clothes.

Akane held up a silk nightie and said, "You can wear this one tonight." Then she produced a yellow sundress and added, "This one could be for when your mom comes over tomorrow."

Ranma winced. Her mother wouldn't have any memory of having a daughter named Ranko. She hadn't thought out her plan to meet her mother very far, and it caused her to worry. She bit her thumb in thought. '_Maybe I can tell mom that dad adopted me. The big problem is how to be Ranko and Ranma at the same time tomorrow?_' She frowned in consternation.

Akane laid out a jumper and a t-shirt to wear underneath. It had the words "Boy Crazy" written on them in glittery letters. She was just about to object when a wet ball of fur pressed against the bedroom window. She almost squealed in fright, before she realized what it was. It waved a sign with wet, smeared lettering that read, "Meet me behind the dojo." and disappeared.


	6. Pride and Cowardice

Chapter 6 – Pride and Cowardice

Ranma stood in front of a mirror. She turned from side to side. Reluctantly, she slipped on the t-shirt with the glittery lettering. She made a face and laughed to herself, thinking, '_Me? Boy crazy?_'

"Well?" Akane asked.

"I'm don't know about the shirt," Ranma answered, pulling the shirt back over her head.

Akane apologized with a smile, "Same here. I prefer something uh... less..."

Ranma held the shirt up to Akane, flashed a smile and teased, "Glittery?"

Akane chuckled, "Maybe." She stood up and looked out the window. "Anyway, dad bought it for me the week of mom's funeral. It has some sentimental value."

Ranma looked at the shirt and said, "I see."

"This might suit you better, " Akane replied, holding out a pale pink blouse, "...but I'll want it back."

Ranma accepted the baby-doll top from Akane and slipped it on. She flipped her hair out and looked in the mirror. The first thing she noticed was how the combination somehow made her seem more cheerful. She liked it, but thought, '_So pink...Dad is going to hurt me if I wear this._'

Akane said, "You look very cute in that."

"Thanks, but I think that is what kind of scares me. Dad might get upset if he sees me being so unmanly." Ranma said in a depressed tone, then added, pointing at the window, "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to go outside and see if I can find my panda. He might be hungry."

"No, no trouble at all, and If your dad gets mad at you for wearing pink," Akane snorted derisively and shook her fist, "I'll teach him a lesson." She relaxed and looked at Ranma curiously, "Do you want me to help you find Panda-kun?"

"Uh, no thanks," Ranma replied, fidgeting slightly, "He's usually very shy. You could scare him off."

Akane looked at the raindrops trickling down the window glass. "If you say so. It looks like the rain is letting up a little, but you better take my umbrella, just in case. I'd hate to see that hairstyle of yours get wet."

"Where is the umbrella?"

"It's near the door."

Ranma padded to the door. There was a bamboo tube attached to a coat rack. In the tube was an umbrella. She slid it out carefully and examined it. The handle was wooden with sunflower patterns. The cloth was yellow with pictures of little white ducks on it. Ranma smiled a little, in spite of herself. She bowed and said, "Arigato, Tendo."

Akane bowed in return and said, "Doumo."

Ranma left the room and found her way to the doorway nearest to the dojo. It was still sprinkling rain outside, so she pushed on one of the duck's heads on the umbrella's handle and it popped open. It was getting dark, but she found that if she walked far enough outside, a sensor turned on a floodlight.

Anxiety over her clothing and makeup filled her. She knew her father would be upset. The last time she was so girly, her father splashed hot water on her and kicked her out of the house into the busy streets of Tokyo. Ranma was disgraced and humiliated. The people walking by would stare and a few would openly call him a pervert. Having nowhere to go, he ran into an alleyway and cried his eyes out. As fate would have it, an old lady dumped cold water out of a window and it landed on him, reverting him back to his female form. People were much more understanding when she was a woman. A neighbor helped her gets some clothes to wear. After being a guest in their home for a few hours, she worked up the courage to go back to her hotel room. It was safer to do it when her father was sleeping, so she waited until after dark. The door was unlocked. She went inside and saw her father passed out on the floor with a bottle of sake. Not taking any chances, she went into her room and changed into her gender neutral silk Chinese outfit and curled up into a ball on her futon, scared and lonely.

That was the last time she wore anything as feminine as what she had on currently. Just thinking about those days in the city caused her to worry. She thought, '_What if he beats me, or leaves me and never comes back?' _Another part of her said, '_Stupid! Stupid! Stop being such a sissy. This isn't your fault. Just explain the situation to dad and he'll understand. He hasn't had a drink in days. He is always worse when he drinks.'_

She took a deep breath and exhaled. A light from a window reflected off of the fog from her breath. It was dark, cold and the sounds of the raindrops felt like a bad omen. Her wooden shoes had perpendicular blocks on the bottom sank into the mud. Each step in the mud made a moist sucking noise.

When she arrived at the dojo, she saw a muddy furry leg sticking out from around the corner. It was clearly the hind leg of a panda. The air smelled like wet fur and sake. The sake was an even worse omen. She fearfully came around the corner and ended up face to face with her father in the form of a giant panda. His squinty eyes moved up and down her slowly.

It was when his eyes met her outfit that he took the wooden sign he had been holding and beat her over the head with it repeatedly. Her vision wavered, and she lost consciousness. He slung her over his shoulder and entered the dojo.

Ranma woke up on the floor next to her father. He was back in human form and pacing back and forth. Ranma tried to get up. Pain shot through her head, and she said, "Ow." and rubbed the sore spot where the sign hit her. She sat up and grimaced at him. "Why did you hit me?"

"Are you _trying _to piss me off?"

She looked away and said, "No." The heat of her anger burned her cheeks.

Genma huffed angrily and seethed, "Then why did you tell them to call your mother? I told you what I'd do if she found out about your curse! As if that wasn't bad enough, I saw you upstairs playing dress-up like a fairy princess as though nothing was wrong. You will pay for this!" His battle aura flared bright red. He grabbed the girl by the straps of her jumper.

Genma's arm drew back. Ranma shielded her face in anticipation and pleaded, "P-please don't." She started shaking and she felt warmth trickle down her leg. Before she could say anything else, Genma punched her with incredible force, causing her to fly across the dojo and into a wall, splintering it on impact. The pain was blinding. She slumped over like a rag doll.

"Rotten good for nothing son of mine!" He yelled, grinding his teeth in fury and choked out, "You aren't going to cheat me out of my retirement! You were supposed to marry one of Tendo's daughters. How is that ever going to happen if you keep dressing up like this? Why do I even bother to call you my son? I have no son."

Ranma's face was numb and she tasted copper. She looked down at her jumper and at the small warm wet spot. She covered it with her hand to hide it. She didn't need to give him another reason to humiliate her. She cried, "I _am _your son."

Genma looked down at the girl cowering in front of him. Part of him wanted to keep on hitting her until she begged him to stop or he felt satisfied. She had tears running down her face and her small hands shielded her. She was shaking like a leaf. Genma felt conflicted. He thought, '_He said he was my son. Maybe there is some hope.'_ Yes, he would shape his son to be a man. His mood lightened. He scowled and said, "Yes, you are my son. I hope you will remember that. Next time I won't be so nice. Now go clean yourself up."

Ranma wiped her eyes and said, "Hai." She leaned over to try to stand, but she felt dizzy. Screwing her face up in determination, she tried again, but failed to stabilize herself enough. She fell backwards and hit her head against the wall.

"Completely useless. Grab my hand." Genma muttered, stumbling from the effects of the sake he drank earlier. He held his rough hand out to the girl to help her up. She felt like it might be poisonous but grabbed it anyway.

The minute she stood up, she yanked her hand out of his grasp. She pursed her lips angrily and grabbed her umbrella. She sat there for a moment, wishing she had the courage to tell him to go to hell. She wanted the humiliation to stop making her stomach churn. She turned to Genma and said, "How long is this going to keep happening? When are you going to stop hurting me? I can't keep letting you do this to me."

Genma sized Ranma up and said, matter-of-factly, "Yes, you are."

"No, I won't!"

"Fine. Maybe I should let you be a girl. You can go prance around in your sissy clothes and play with dolls with Tendo's daughter. Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you _are_ incurable. _Maybe _I should go find a _proper_ heir. Why am I wasting my time with a worthless girl when I could be training a man amongst men?"

Ranma felt the familiar stabbing pain in her heart at her father's disapproval. She cried, "It's not my fault I'm dressed like this, it's yours. I asked you to get me some hot water when we arrived here, but no, you insisted I go like this. As long as we're talking about it, it's your fault from the beginning that I change into a girl in the first place. You _pushed_ me into that spring."

Genma pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. He drunkenly said, "Oh here we go again. So it's my fault you didn't dodge my attack back at Jusenkyo. You have nobody but yourself to blame for that. As for showing up as a girl, we didn't have any hot water. You were supposed to change when you were inside and could get some hot water. I didn't expect you to fall into your old sissy habits."

Ranma yelled felt the sting of the insult and cried angrily, "How _dare _you accuse me of being a sissy when you turn into ridiculously fat and smelly panda! Go join a zoo, you freak." She lifted her umbrella and pointed it at him threateningly.

Genma took a step towards her menacingly and said, "Don't you dare insult my curse. At least I didn't become a flower arranging panty-wetting transsexual."

Ranma looked down at her small hands and delicate arms. The umbrella felt heavy and began to dip slightly. Some part of her realized what her dad was doing. He was trying to break her down and make her feel small. She allowed her confidence to return and held the handle tighter. She scowled and said, "You taught me once that martial artists protect the weak, dad. Well, here I am! You say _I'm_ weak. So why aren't you protecting me? You only insult me because deep in your heart you know that _you're_ the failure. You've never protected anyone but yourself."

Genma growled. He channeled his ki energy into his hand and swatted the umbrella away with such force that it embedded itself into the wall. Ranma squeaked and jumped away from him into a corner. She fearfully looked around for an escape, but the entrance was too far. She cursed under her breath. She would have to make a stand. The most she thought she could hope for was to get a few good hits in, but it was worth it, because she was sick and tired of the punishment. She threw herself into a relaxed stance, faced her father and said, "I'm not afraid of you."

Genma cracked his knuckles and advanced closer. His face was reddening with rage. He said, "You will be."

"Yeah, well, if you hit me, you'll only show what a coward you are! Look at how much bigger you are than me!" Ranma shouted. She held her hands in front of her defensively and said, voice quavering, "One step closer and I'm going to tell mom _everything_. I mean it!"

Genma hesitated then said, "Leave her out of this. This is a fight amongst men."

"Amongst men, pops? _Men_?" Tears ran down Ranma's face. She pointed at herself and yelled, "Do you think it's easy hearing that when I look like this? I'm barely hanging onto what's left of my male side, pops. Look at me! Do I look like a man to you?"

"I can eat bamboo and shit panda droppings when I'm in my cursed form, Ranma, but I know who I am. You're not a woman any more than I am a panda. Now I'm going to have to teach you some respect."

Ranma pointed a finger at Genma and shouted, "All you are is a sad little man with a fear of women. You ran away from mom, like a coward. You are the sissy here."

Genma growled in rage. He swung his fist at her cheek, but she dodged it.

Ranma's expression was calm. She said, "I won't allow you to hit me anymore, you fat drunk."

Genma laughed, "Oh really? A frail little princess like you is going to stop me?"

Suddenly Ranma leaped into the air and thrust her foot out at Genma's crotch with the force of a hammer. He doubled over, unable to speak or breathe. While he was stunned, she extended her elbow out and smashed it into Genma's kneecap, dislocating it quite painfully. Genma was incapacitated, rolling over on the floor in pain.

"Yes. I will."

Genma grabbed his knee and popped it painfully back into place. He screamed in pain. After a couple of deep breaths, he saw spots in front of his eyes. Ranma kicked him in the head, and he fell down unconscious. She walked over to the bathroom and returned with a bucket of cold water then splashed the old man with it.

"I loved you and all you've ever done was make me feel horrible and hate myself. Now you are going to know what it means to be pushed into being something you're not." Ranma said, barely able to stop pouting and shaking from pent up emotions. She took a cleansing breath and looked around the room.

A phone sat on a small table near a softly glowing lamp.

Ranma walked toward it and took a deep breath. She picked up the receiver and dialed the operator. Someone answered, "Moshi moshi."

"Please connect me to Ueno Zoo."


End file.
